December 2009 Summary and Plans for January 2010

I read 14 books in December giving a total of 144 for the year. I’m quite impressed with that and hope I can read a similar number in 2010.

I was lucky to read two outstanding books in December – Flowers for Algernon and Generation A both managed to gain my highest rating and I hope that you decide to read them, as I’m sure you’ll love them!

Overall the quality of the books I read in December was very high. I’m wondering if I’m noticing a gradual improvement due to book blogger recommendations?

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I hope you love The Elegance of the Hedgehog as much as I did! I will be anxious to see how you like The Little Friend. I loved A Secret History but heard this one isn’t as good so I haven’t picked it up at this point.

I really loved Small Island – hope you enjoy it, too! I read Uglies a couple of years back, and while I didn’t dislike it, I wasn’t as thrilled about it as many others were and haven’t raced out to lay my hands on the rest of the series. I’ll be especially interested to hear your thoughts on both books!

Megan, I’m about 100 pages into Uglies and am enjoying it. I don’t think I’ll be raving about it like other people either, but from what I’ve read so far I think I’d read the rest of the series – we’ll have to see what I think of the middle and ending first!

Jackie, you had an amazing December and 2009. I hope to read Small Island and Mosquito Coast in 2010. As for Donna Tartt, I liked Secret History, quite a bit more than Little Friend. Enjoy your selections

Louise, I loved Fall on Your Knees, but I’m not sure it will stay with me – it was too complex and there was too much going on, so it just missed out on 5 stars for that reason. I hope I enjoy Uglies too!

I hope you enjoy Small Island. It’s such a different WWII story that touched on things I was totally unaware of. It’s also angering but in a good way I think. I can’t wait to see what you think about it

Dorte, I don’t think Little Friend is crime fiction, so hopefully that will help my impression of it. I’m pleased that you enjoyed Lighthouse – I had the impression that most people didn’t like it, so it is good to know that you did.

You certainly did have a banner month! I don’t remember the last time you had so many 4 and 5 stars in a four weeks’ time. I’ve not read any of the books you are considering for January (big shocker!). I really want to get in on one or two of the Woolf reads with Frances, even though I’m a little bit intimidated.

Book blogger recommendations have made a HUGE difference in the quality and enjoyment of my reading, and I’m guessing it might have influenced yours too! Flowers for Algernon was assigned reading when I was in high school, but I really don’t remember a thing about it. Judging from all the positive reviews lately, it sounds like its time to reread.

I look forward to your thoughts on Small Island, easily one of the best books I have read in ages. Queenie and Hortense will be delightful company… well I hope they will. I don’t as yet know of anyone who hasnt found them so.

Small Island is a fantastic book – hope you enjoy it. The Little Friend is a book I have been meaning to re-read for a while now – I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed it more than Tartt’s first book. I have been trying to decide whether or not to read Hedgehog for ages now so I will be looking forward to hearing what you think of it Jackie.

You had a great reading month in December and it looks like January will be great too! I haven’t read any of the books you are planning to read in January – I really enjoy your blog and I’m looking forward to reading your reviews throughout 2010!

Haven’t read any of the books on your Jan roster BUT I have only been hearing good things about Donna Tartt (though generally most people seem to like The Secret History a tad more than The Little Friend); I own both of her novels and so I’ll hopefully read at least one of them this year… not sure of my own plans for January. I’ll just see where my whims take me!

Steph, Don’t worry – I still have space to read books on a whim and don’t feel the list is set in stone – I can change it whenever I like. I hope you have a great January and find some fantastic books to read.

Great year/month/plans! I wasn’t far off 144 books and that’s mainly because I hit a reading and blogging wall in December; I’m hoping a fresh start and great books on the horizon will help.

I’m really looking forward to reading Flowers for Algernon.

I have read The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Little Friend and Buddha Da and interested what you will think of them; I suspect that you will find Elegance too gentle and philosophical for your tastes but we’ll see.

Small Island is a book I have been meaning to read for a few years (probably since it was shortlisted for the Orange) and hope to read it this year; I also have To the Lighthouse on my immediate TBR for Woolf in Winter.

What a great reading month and it sounds like January is off to a good start! I’ve read Small Island last year and loved it. I read The Little Friend pre-blogging and can’t remember much of it. Didn’t leave a lasting impression. Uglies was pretty good. I really liked the series as a whole.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Boat to Redemption are on my wishlists.

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My Rating System

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Note: All books on this blog are rated on a five star system according to how much I enjoyed them. The ratings are not an indication of writing quality nor how enjoyable you may find reading them.
I am notoriously fussy in my reading tastes, so the star rating will only help if you have a similar reading taste to mine. I tend to abandon books I am not enjoying.